Photomeric analysis of eclipsing binaries: VY UMI, RU UMI AND GSC 04364-00648

TL;DR

This study analyzes light curves and period variations of three eclipsing binaries, revealing a third component in RU UMi and period changes in VY UMi and GSC 04364-00648, with implications for their stellar evolution.

Contribution

First-time detection of wave-like variations indicating a third body in RU UMi and detailed period change analysis for three eclipsing binaries.

Findings

Wave-like variations in RU UMi suggest a third component.

Period increase in VY UMi indicates mass transfer.

Period decrease in GSC 04364-00648 observed but not fully explained.

Abstract

We present the photometric analysis of \textit{BVR} and \textit{TESS} light curves of three eclipsing binaries (RU~UMi and purely studied VY~UMi, GSC 04364-00648), together with their period changes considering archival data and new minima times from our and \textit{TESS} observations. For the first time we detected wave-like variations with low-amplitude in $O-C$ residua of RU UMi, which can be interpreted as a consequence of the light-time effect caused by the 3rd invisible component with period 7370 days. Period increase with rate 2.56(9)$\times10^{-7}$~d/yr$^{-1}$ detected in the VY UMi system corresponds to mass transfer from the secondary to the primary component. For GSC 04364-00648 binary system we find some quadratic changes on the $O-C$ diagram, which corresponds to a period decrease with a high rate of $-2.26(5)\times10^{-5}$~d/yr$^{-1}$. We cannot assumptions about their nature, mainly due to short time of observation and uneven coverage of $O-C$ diagram. We also determined the absolute parameter of their components using the photometric solution and \textit{GAIA} distances.